Data Scientist

Hi, We are hiring for our client, Please let me know if you are Interested, Title: Data Scientist Location: Birmingham, AL Duration: 7 Months Contract (W2) US Citizenship or Green Card Required Pay Rate: $56/hr Job Description: Job Title: Data Scientist – Nuclear Operations Job Summary : The Data Scientist – Nuclear Operations is responsible for developing, validating, and deploying advanced analytical and machine learning solutions that support nuclear operational performance, equipment reliability, and economic outcomes. This role bridges complex plant telemetry and operational data with actionable insights delivered through a governed, cloudnative analytics platform. The position emphasizes production-grade implementation within the Southern Nuclear Azure Databricks Lakehouse and requires a strong commitment to documentation, auditability, and accuracy consistent with work in a highly regulated environment. This role works closely with engineering, IT, and analytics partners to translate operational needs into measurable analytical solutions that can be safely operated and maintained over time. Major Job Responsibilities: Analytics & Model Development • Develop, test, and maintain statistical, machine learning, and time-series models supporting use cases such as anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and operational reliability analysis. • Apply rigorous validation techniques to ensure models are explainable, reliable, and appropriate for operational decision support. • Monitor model performance over time and support controlled updates as data and operational conditions evolve. Lakehouse & Platform Implementation • Implement end-to-end analytics workflows in the Southern Nuclear Azure Databricks Lakehouse environment. • Build and maintain data pipelines and feature datasets aligned with enterprise medallion architecture standards. • Leverage scalable Spark-based processing for large and complex operational datasets. • Use approved model lifecycle and experiment tracking practices to support repeatability and governance. Data Governance, Security & Compliance • Design analytics solutions that adhere to data governance, access control, and auditability requirements. • Ensure all analytical outputs are traceable to approved inputs and follow established data handling standards. • Operate within platform security constraints intended to limit uncontrolled data ingress, egress, and access. Applied AI / Advanced Analytics • Support the implementation of approved AI-enabled analytics and search capabilities, including retrieval-based techniques, where appropriate. • Ensure AI-assisted solutions are verifiable, transparent, and aligned with enterprise and regulatory expectations. Collaboration & Technical Communication • Partner with nuclear engineers, IT leaders, and platform teams to translate operational questions into analytical approaches. • Participate in technical design and architecture discussions. • Produce clear technical documentation to support long-term maintenance and operational support. Education • Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Statistics, or a related quantitative discipline preferred. Required Knowledge & Skills • Strong proficiency in Python for data analysis and model development. • Solid experience with SQL and working with large-scale structured datasets. • Demonstrated experience building analytics or machine learning solutions in a production cloud environment. • Strong foundation in statistical modeling and time-series analysis. • Ability to clearly explain analytical methods, assumptions, and limitations. Desired / Preferred Knowledge & Skills • Experience supporting analytics in energy, utilities, nuclear, or other highly regulated industries. • Familiarity with industrial or operational time-series data. • Experience contributing to MLOps practices, including repeatable training and deployment workflows. • Understanding of enterprise data governance and access control concepts. Documentation & Standards • Produce comprehensive documentation for analytical solutions, including model intent, assumptions, validation results, and operational considerations. • Ensure all work aligns with Southern Company standards for quality, accuracy, and auditability. • Operate in accordance with nuclear safety culture and formal change management practices. Behavioral Attributes • Demonstrates Southern Company values: Safety First, Act with Integrity, Intentional Inclusion, and Superior Performance. • Strong attention to detail and analytical rigor. • Effective collaborator across technical and operational teams. • Comfortable working in environments with formal controls, documentation expectations, and regulatory oversight. Additional Requirements • This position may require compliance with applicable nuclear regulatory requirements, including background checks, testing, and training as required by policy. • Work location and on-site requirements will be aligned with business needs.